Ragnarok
by der kapitan
Summary: This world is ugly and imperfect, so why not create your own reality? Humans will let you down and make you cry, so you're better off without them. Make your own world, find your own escape, and achieve perfection. Let this sick reality burn and disappear; it's not worth saving. Original Persona storyline.
1. prologue

Author's Note:

This is a reboot of my old original Persona story, _Glass Houses_, that went under due to poor planning and a lack of enthusiasm on my part. The original cast from P3 and P4 will be playing a much larger part, but the plot itself has been revamped to follow the storylines of the original games. I hope you guys stick around and enjoy!

DeathOverLord asked for a list of characters. I did have to change a couple of things (attacks, Arcana, etc.) in order to make a more balanced party, and I hope you don't mind too much. The characters I have are Ino Hakuna (Fool/Word), Azusa Yano (Magician), Lin-Kuei Hitachibana (Moon), Akito "Walker" Sozuki (Hanged Man), Mari Senjeko (Fortune), Etsuko Yamazaki (Lovers), Yumiko Sakura (Hermit), Izayoi Raizel (Jester), Alexandra Sainome (Temperance), and Christophe Adrien Chevalier (Empress). I'll be accepting OCs for Social Links, but a little later on.

* * *

**Ragnarok  
**a Persona (© ATLUS) fanfiction

Prologue  
The Velvet Room

* * *

_Opening Song:_ "Dirty Paws" - Of Monsters and Men

_and for a while things were cold,  
__they were scared down in their holes  
__the forest that once was green  
__was colored black by those killing machines  
__but she and her furry friends  
__took down the queen bee and her men,  
__and that's how the story goes_

* * *

The man observes himself in the full-length mirrors, twisting and turning, eyeing each reflection with scrutiny and a sense of discomfort. "It's been years since we've had a guest," he says, "and I'd hate for them to think me unseemly because of a tattered suit. My usual has served me well and parting is sweet sorrow, however..." He pulls on the lapels of the purple suit jacket, stands straight, raises his nose, and smiles. "This one is quite charming, in its own way." His eyes travel back to the worn jacket and slacks that hang over the midnight blue chair in the center of the room. "Perhaps this is what it is like, saying goodbye to a beloved child for the first and perhaps last time."

The platinum blonde in the corner clears her throat. "Master, the guest is here."

His beady eyes seek out the new arrival in the mirrors' reflection. When he spots her sitting on the stool, he turns to face her with an enigmatic smile. "Greetings," he says, extending his arms in welcome. "And welcome to the Velvet Room. It has been a long time since our last guest, so I apologize for the mess." With a chuckle, he snaps his fingers and the scattered clothes disappear into thin air. "My name is Igor. I am truly honored to finally make your acquaintance."

She blinks at him, as though trying to decide whether he's real or a figment of imagination. Ultimately she decides on the latter, but she plays along anyway because he seems like a nice enough figment of imagination. "Likewise," she replies, flashing a cheeky smile. Her blue-green eyes wander around the room, which feels cramped and spacious all at once because of the mirrors. It reminds her of a dressing room, somewhat. "So... Where am I? I mean, what's the Velvet Room?"

"The Velvet Room is a place that transcends both dream and reality. This is a room that only those who have signed a contract may enter." Igor waves his hand over the space in front of him, and a large red book appears in front of him. It cracks open to a page filled with dark print and an unsigned line, then floats over to the girl. "Please, sign. We have little time to waste."

She picks up the quill wedged in the crease of the book and quickly scans the words on the faded yellow page. "'I chooseth this fate of mine own free will.' Hm, that sounds pretty ominous." Igor doesn't respond, but she figures there's no point in over thinking a dream, so she signs her name at the bottom: **Ino Hakuna**.

The book snaps shut, and in a burst of light both it and the quill disappear. "Henceforth, my dear young woman, you shall be welcome here in the Velvet Room. You are destined to discover and train your unique ability. Perhaps I shall even be of use to you in the future." He chuckles, like he's sharing an inside joke with himself; the neglected female in the corner rolls her golden eyes. "Miss Hakuna, I ask only one thing in return for my services: that you abide by the contract and assume full responsibility for the choices you make."

"Sure," she replies, though she's not really listening to him anymore. Her attention focuses on the other girl, who's sitting on the arm of Igor's chair and filing her nails. "Who're you?"

"This is my assistant, Lisa. She too is a resident of this room," says Igor.

"Yo," Lisa greets. Her curly platinum blonde hair is worn in a braid that hangs over her shoulder, and she's dressed in a blue-and-black airplane attendant's uniform with black ankle lace-up boots. She, unlike Igor, doesn't appear to be impressed by Ino's presence.

Igor waits for Lisa to say something more, but she's much more invested in the state of her nails. The long-nosed man sighs as he shuffles a deck of cards. (Ino can't help but wonder where they came from, because he definitely didn't have them a moment ago.) "Now, as for the reason why I have brought you here tonight... How well-acquainted are you with mythology?"

Ino sheepishly rubs the back of her neck. Classical literature and history of the ancient worlds have always been among some of her poorest grades. "I'm not," she admits.

"A lesson is in store for you, then," he murmurs, his eyes lighting up. "There is belief that, in the future, there will be a series of events, including natural and human disasters, that will lead to an immense battle between the gods and their enemies. The world will become a battlefield between these powerful enemies and, as a result, will be enveloped in flames. Death for all is imminent and even the mightiest will fall — but the earth shall be born anew. Here, the surviving gods will meet, and the land will be fertile and green once more. For you see, Ino Hakuna, Death is not triumphant in the end. Though it may experience victories, both small and large, it will give way to Life. Are you prepared for the Ragnarok?"

A major battle between gods and demons, the world on fire, and its subsequent rebirth hardly has a place for a sixteen-year-old girl, but she nods anyway. It's just a dream, and she has a feeling that Igor isn't used to or fond of hearing "no."

With a swipe of his arm, seven cards fly off the top of the deck and hover between them. "It's a pleasure to meet such a compliant guest," he states, sounding quite amused. "A long adventure awaits you; how will you adjust? Will you tackle the obstacles ahead of you straight on, or will you take a more indirect route? Know, Miss Hakuna, that life has no one correct answer. For every question, there are at least five correct answers."

"That sounds like every multiple choice test I've ever taken," Ino mutters.

"Master," Lisa calls. "Your next appointment's waiting."

"I see... It seems as though it is time for you to return to your world," Igor says. "The next time we meet, you shall be one step closer to fulfilling your destiny — and what a very interesting destiny it is. You must be quite tired, so I shall leave you to your slumber. Farewell for now."

* * *

_Closing Song:_ "The Phoenix" - Fall Out Boy

* * *

One character from P3/P4 is going to play a major part in the story. Any guesses as to who? (Maybe I'll give a gift of some sort to the person who guesses correctly. wink wink nudge nudge)

If you have any questions or want any clarifications, just leave a review or send a message my way, and I'll answer as best I can! :)

**xx, **der kapitan


	2. not all who wander are lost

Author's Note:

Thanks to everyone for your reviews and support! :) It really means a lot to me when you take the time to leave a comment, no matter how short or long. (I mean, long reviews _are_ nice, but I digress.) Anyway, I looked over the profiles again, and I had to change some weapons because some were the same/too alike, and I want a diverse party. Also, if **Tindra** and **MewStar** could message me — both of you used Hoenir as a Persona. I probably should have seen that coming and made a list of Personas used since I was vague and just said "Norse mythology," so my fault. XD

I'm also putting together a playlist for this story for me to write to/just enjoy, so if you have any suggestions (for your character or otherwise), just let me know! P.S.S. I'm drawing the characters; would you guys rather see it on a tumblr or deviantart?

* * *

**Ragnarok  
**a Persona (© ATLUS) fanfiction

Chapter One  
Not All Who Wander Are Lost

* * *

_Opening Song:_ "Dirty Paws" - Of Monsters and Men

_and for a while things were cold,  
__they were scared down in their holes  
__the forest that once was green  
__was colored black by those killing machines  
__but she and her furry friends  
__took down the queen bee and her men,  
__and that's how the story goes_

* * *

_April 3, 2016, Yamasachihiko, Furuha Train Station_

_"I'm late!" _is the first thought to cross Ino's mind when she steps off the monorail. Blue-green eyes scan the station with a sense of urgency, searching for a sign (at this point she's hoping for a billboard) to point her in the right direction. _"Maybe I shouldn't have ordered that second dessert..." _Desperate and at a loss for what to do, she goes up to a nice-looking man in uniform and taps him on the shoulder. "Excuse me, Sir. Could you tell me how to get to Kageri International Boarding School?"

"Sure thing, Miss!" With enthusiasm that suggests this is the most exciting thing that's happened to him all day (and it's already two o'clock in the afternoon), he pulls out a map of the island city of Yamasachihiko to hand to her. "KI is located in the Kaihin district here," he says, pointing to a green highlighted area to the east, "and right now you're in the Furuha region." He moves his finger directly west, to a red highlighted area. "It's about a twenty minute commute from here to the station in Kaihin, and from there it's a thirty minute walk or ten minute drive to the school."

She tries to not let her spirits sink too much upon hearing the information. A twenty minute train ride plus another thirty or ten minutes...? _"Traveling alone is hard,"_ she mourns inwardly. "Okay, thanks. Um, can I keep this? I'm from Kyoto and this is my first time in Yamasachihiko, so..."

"Oh, absolutely! The train to Kaihin should be here in fifteen minutes, so don't wander too far away." He folds it up and hands it to her with a smile, then tips his hat at her. "And welcome to Yamasachihiko."

His welcome, as humble as it is, brings a bright grin to her face. "Thanks!" Ino contemplates walking around to kill time and maybe find a vending machine that sells apple juice, but reminds herself that that's the reason why she missed her first train, so instead she takes a seat on one of the benches. The boy next to her has large hands, olive-toned skin, auburn hair, and a large red headband, but what catches and keeps her attention the most is the lit cigarette hanging from his lips.

His gray eyes shift towards her suddenly, visibly startling her. "Can I help you?" he grunts.

Ino sits upright, mildly embarrassed at having been caught. "Huh, no, I was just..." The cigarette smoke wafts by, forcing her nose to wrinkle in distaste. "Could you maybe not smoke? I don't like the smell." She looks around for some kind of "no smoking" sign, but finds nothing.

"Sorry," he says, not sounding the least big apologetic. She waits for him to put it out in the ash tray next to him or to stamp it out with his foot, but all he does is shift his attention to the front. Ino continues to watch him expectantly; she _could_ just get up and move to another bench, but that would mean she gave in, and going in a loser hardly seems like a way to start in a new city. After a good two minutes of hard staring, he turns sharply to her and pulls the cigarette from his lips. "Will you quit ogling me? Didn't your parents teach you any manners?"

"They tried to enroll me in etiquette classes, but I really didn't wanna take them," she chirps. The cheeriness in her voice visibly ticks him off, and some hidden sadistic part of her is awfully pleased with this. "Didn't your parents teach you that smoking is bad for you? You've seen those commercials, right? The ones where the doctors are probing these nasty looking lungs of chain smokers? Do you know what's in cigarettes? These other commercials talk about how—"

"Jesus Christ, it was a rhetorical question," he says, cutting her off. He attempts to deter her with a glare, but her response is a sickeningly sweet smile. "... If I put out this damn cigarette, will you stop smiling at me? I'm starting to feel nauseous."

"There's definitely an insult hidden in there, but I'm gonna take the bait and say yes, anyway!" He grimaces, like he's dealing with a goblin who will never shut up, but he drops the cigarette anyway and crushes it with the heel of his red trainer. He falls back against the bench, folds his arms across his chest, and directs his glare towards the front because glaring at someone right next to him is too confrontational. Ino, oblivious or merely choosing to ignore the implications of his body language, moves a little closer and extends her hand to him. "By the way, I'm Ino Hakuna. Nice to meet you."

'Nice to meet you' is the last thing he wants to say to this girl, but he gets the feeling she'll continue to pester him unless he acquiesces. "Azusa Yano," he replies, reluctantly shaking her hand.

"Where are you headed?"

Judging by the look of exasperation on Azusa's face, he'd been hoping she would drop it after getting his name. "KI."

Her eyes light up. "The boarding school?"

"Yup," he answers.

"Awesome! That's where I'm going, too!"

"Awesome," he mimics, though with much less verve.

"What year are you?"

"Third."

"I'm a second year." He wants desperately to tell the blabbering girl that he does not care and that he needs a cigarette, but she's on a roll and he doubts she'd stop anyway. Ino comes off as one of those girls who, despite being nice and friendly and oh so cheerful, does whatever she wants. "I'm a transfer student and it'll be my first year there, so I'm a little nervous... This is also my first time on Yamasachihiko; it's a lot different than Kyoto."

The mention of Kyoto catches his attention, and for the first time he look genuinely interested in what she has to say. "Yeah?"

Ino bobs her head. "Mhm. Of course, I've lived in Kyoto for all my life and I only left a couple times, so everything's pretty different for me." She laughs sheepishly as she rubs the back of her neck. Admitting being ill-versed in travel is embarrassing, even if Kyoto is a center of culture. "Have you ever been?"

"Yeah. My dad has to go there a lot for business."

"What's your dad do?"

"He owns a chain of hotels."

He says it likes it's no big deal at all, so it takes a while for it to register in Ino's mind. "Hotels," she mumbles, and suddenly the image of large, expensive hotels on every street corner in Kyoto pop into her head. When it finally clicks, her jaw drops in amazement. "Your last name is Yano!"

"Yup."

The Yano hotels are among the most popular in the country, and there have been rumors that the owner is thinking about expanding worldwide. It's incredibly high class, so only the wealthy can afford a room, but they manage to attract important figures and celebrities. Another popular rumor is that, whenever she travels for concerts and performances, Rise Kujikawa _only_ stays at Yano. "Wow, my first day here and I've already met someone famous," Ino gushes, albeit jokingly (mostly).

Azusa snorts. "It's not a big deal." Most people would say that just to be humble, but she gets the feeling that he legitimately means it. Before she can ask him anymore questions, the sound of wheels screeching against old tracks resonates from down the tunnel. "Lord, finally..." He stands up to grab his things and quickly walks over to the platform with the intent of losing Ino in the crowd, but she's quick and squeezes next to him in a matter of seconds. "Hey," he snaps, "I'm not here to play babysitter for you."

"I don't need a babysitter," she replies good-naturedly. "Just a friend."

He has half the heart to yell that they aren't friends, but she says it with such joviality that he actually feels guilty. He says nothing more to her, just grunts and mutters under his breath as he attempts to hide his blush.

The ride to Kaihin district is long and too crowded, but Ino makes the best of it. When she isn't chatting about the latest celebrity gossip or bringing up facts about movies that nobody should know, she's making new friends with the businessmen and other students. _"I wonder if she ever gets exhausted from talking too much,"_ Azusa thinks as she makes small talk with a girl in his class. _"Does what she says ever go through a filter, or does it just come out?"_

He swears she's forced a headache upon him with her words by the time the train rolls to a stop. _"I've literally never heard anyone talk so much before."_ Azusa is the first one off the train, which is impressive considering the fact that he was crammed towards the back. _"I need pain relievers... Or a cigarette."_ Just as he pulls out a new one and places it between his lips, he hears Ino call out his name. _"It's like I finally got that pet I never wanted."_

"Are you heading to school now?" she asks.

"No," he replies. "I've got some stuff I need to do before I go." He lights the cigarette, must to her distaste. "Later."

"W-wait!" But he's already off, and the number of people that file in and out of the train quickly obscures his tall figure from her sight. "Ahhh, bummer... He could have at least pointed me in the right direction." Once again on her own, Ino digs into her backpack to pull out the map. "Okay, so I'm in Kaihin now, but I need to get over here... Thirty minute walk or ten minute drive..." A taxi sounds expensive, but considering everything that she has to carry with her... She weighs the pros and cons of each choice before deciding, with an affirmative nod to herself, "Well, I guess I'm just gonna have to have an adventure!"

* * *

_Yamasachihiko, Daidouji district, Kirijo Group_

Towers of papers are stacked on the desk, effectively concealing the red-haired woman sitting behind it. She goes from one important contract to another, her pen never stopping and her eyes never resting. It's hard work leading the Kirijo Group, but Mitsuru has been doing it for six years and she isn't going to stop now.

The red blip on her telephone alerts her of an incoming call, so she presses a finely manicured finger down on the button. _"Kirijo-sama,"_ says the voice of her secretary, _"your four o'clock is here to see you."_

For the first time in hours, Mitsuru puts down her pen, and a soft smile graces her features. "Oh, excellent; he's here. Please send him up, Otou."

_"Yes, ma'am."_

As she waits for her guest, she turns her seat around so that she can enjoy the view. The Kirijo Group building in Yamasachihiko is located in the wealthest district, Daidouji, and was recently constructed a couple years ago. It's one of the tallest buildings in the city, standing out even among the other skyscrapers in the district, and is characterized by large surface areas of windows. Mitsuru's office is at the very top, so she can see literally all of Yamasachihiko from her seat. The island city is surrounded by mountains, though it has a variety of other landforms including lakes, beaches, and rivers. It's made up four regions: Daidouji, Furuha, Kaihin, and Odori. Each region is diverse in population, entertainment, production, and culture; Yamasachihiko is a melting pot.

A knock on the door has her swivel towards the front once more. "Come in."

It's only been a couple of months since she last saw him, but Mitsuru is still blown away by how much Ken has grown. He's tall now, surprisingly so considering how small he was six years ago (all those glasses of milk and force-fed veggies finally kicked in), with long limbs and a lean body dressed in a long-sleeved orange shirt and khaki pants. His hair is still cut short, with some wisps falling into his eyes and curling upwards, and his eyes are as large as ever. "Mitsuru-senpai," he greets with a smile. "It's been a while."

"Yes, and you're still calling me 'senpai,'" she says, chuckling. "I graduated years ago, Amada. You don't have to address me as your upperclassman anymore."

A fleeting expression — of memories that are too painful to bring up but too wonderful to forget — crosses his face. "That's true," he says, trying to recover, "but it'd feel weird if I called you anything else. Old habits are hard to break."

"I can certainly understand that," she murmurs, glancing at all the work waiting to be finished. She'd been hard working all through high school, with it culminating after her father's death, and she hasn't had a break since. Both Akihiko and Yukari advised her to take some personal time off, just to recuperate and breathe some fresh air, but between managing the Group and the Shadow Operatives she can't find an opening for leisure. "Please, have a seat." He admires the modern interior of her office as he walks over to the large red chair in front of her desk; leave it to Kirijo to go all out on a building like this. "How have you been?"

"Good," he answers. "I just finished moving into the dorm, so I haven't met anyone yet."

"I see. Well, you've had plenty of experience living in a dorm, so I imagine it won't be difficult for you to adjust." They share a smile at the fond memory. "I'm sorry that you had to transfer so suddenly, though."

Ken shakes his head. "No, it's fine. There's... not much left for me at Gekkoukan." He shifts uncomfortably in his seat, still unwilling to bring up the topic they're both desperately trying to avoid, then swiftly changes the subject. "So, why'd you ask me to come today? I mean, I don't really have anything else I need to be doing, but it was pretty out of the blue."

"Yes, give me just a moment, please." She pulls a thick manila folder out from her desk and slides it across to him. "I'm sure you're not unaware of the state of Yamasachihiko. There has been an incredible jump in number of patients with Apathy Syndrome, but it's an isolated case, here on this island." Her brow dips in concern, and as he reads the headlines outlining the situation, he can't blame her. "This is why I asked for your aid. I understand that you want to focus on your studies, especially since you're already in your second year, but—"

"Senpai, it's fine," he reassures her. "I'm already here, and like I said, it wasn't a big deal moving from Tatsumi Port Island. Anyway, I'm glad I can help, especially since this is happening again. I thought... I thought we got rid of this? Because of..." The name gets stuck on his tongue, and he curses himself inwardly because it's been six years and he should be over it by now.

But Mitsuru understands, and she doesn't force him. "I'm not sure what's happening," she admits. "I'm already having Aigis contact the other members of the Shadow Operatives to see how things are working on their end. Akihiko is currently busy with crimes in his own city and, as you know, Yukari recently got married, so I don't want to worry either of them. I don't want to take action before knowing the cause of this, but I fear that passivity will be damaging to the city, and perhaps on a wider scale."

"Yeah, I understand. I'll do what I can."

Her shoulders relax, if only for a moment. "Thank you, Amada."

Ken stands up to leave, with the information tucked under his arm, but stops before he can exit through the door. "Mitsuru-senpai..."

"Yes?"

He hesitates for a moment, the thought weighing heavily on his mind. "Do you remember... That one day in March, six years ago?" His question is vague, but she knows exactly the date he's talking about: March 31, 2010. "Do you remember, after everything was said and done and the battle was finally over, what you said?"

Mitsuru shakes her head. "Many words were exchanged that day."

Ken turns his gaze to the manila folder, filled with accounts of witnesses of murders, news about natural disasters, and the resurgence of Apathy Syndrome. "You said that it's impossible to make humankind truly happy, that people will always subconsciously wish for destruction. You said that maybe, despite killing it over and over again, there might be no way to fully eliminate Erebus."

The name of the monster stirs a mix of emotions within her: fear, anger, confusion. "That's right," she murmurs, more to herself than to him.

"I think we should try to talk to the others," he says. "If not Sanada-san and Yukari-san, then maybe Junpei-san and the others. I know we all have new lives now, but I don't think is something we can do without each other."

"Yes," she says, "you're right."

* * *

_Yamasachihiko, Kaihin, Kirijo Coed Dormitory_

Etsuko Yamazaki hums cheerfully to herself as she picks up a Mahjong tile to complete her pair. "Ooo, looks like I'm winning — again! You owe me three ice cream cones after this, Azusa."

Azusa rolls his eyes at the redhead. "Shut up. I don't even know why I agreed to play with you; you irritate me and I hate Mahjong."

She sticks her tongue out at him playfully. "C'mon, don't be like that. You_ like_ playing with me." He grunts in response, groans when he makes a wrong move, and grits his teeth together when she comes up with another successful pair. "I'm seriously on a roll!"

"I'll roll you over with my fist if you don't _get _— _out_ — _of _— _my_ — _face._"

"Ugh, you're such a sourpuss." Despite her complaints, she continues playing, though his refusal to take his turn makes the game rather one-sided. "Geez, I hope Walker gets back soon. He never gets all pissy when I win."

"Yeah, 'cause he's used to letting people walk all over him."

Etsuko deadpans. "Do you ever have anything good to say about anyone?" Azusa just waves her off, like he's done playing and he wants her to go away, and picks up the before abandoned book on the coffee table. She hums a quirky tone, which annoys Azusa, and she continues because that was the initial intent anyway. "Speaking of Walker, I wonder what he's up to. He looked pretty worried when he left earlier this morning."

"He probably ran out of food to feed his hermit crab."

"You think? I mean, he looked _really_ worried… He does love that hermit crab a lot." She finishes up the game of Mahjong (with herself), mutters to Azusa how he still owes her three ice cream cones, then wanders over to the TV to find a show to amuse herself with. "Oh yeah, one of the transfer students moved in this morning. You just missed him, actually."

He lowers the novel to raise an eyebrow at her. "'One of' the transfer students? How many are we getting?"

"Two I think," she says, settling on an old black-and-white movie. "The other one was supposed to be here by now… Hey, do you mind if I watch this? I've been waiting to see this for forever, but I can't find it online and rental stores are basically nonexistent now."

"You'd watch it even if I said no," he states plainly.

Etsuko grins. "True enough."

A loud knock sounds at the door before it's pushed open. The girl who walks in — with a number of suitcases, duffel bags, and a backpack — has her wavy dark blonde/orange hair pulled up into a tiny bun and a white-toothed smile glued onto her face. "Hey there!" she says, dropping a couple of her bags to relieve her arms of the weight. "I'm the new transfer student, Ino Hakuna." Azusa spins around upon hearing her name. "Sorry I'm late, I tried walking here from the station and got lost a couple of— Woah, hey! It's you, son of the rich hotel owners!"

Azusa's jaw literally drops, and Etsuko's brown gaze shifts from him to the newcomer curiously. "You guys know each other?"

Azusa begins, "No—"

"We met on the train this morning," Ino cuts him off. "Heeey, do you live here?"

"Unfortunately," he grumbles. "Karma just bit me in the ass."

She chooses to ignore him and instead walks over to Etsuko, who's still seated on the ground in front of the TV. "Hi, nice to meet you," she says, extending her hand to her in greeting.

"Yeah, likewise!" Etsuko responds, shaking her hand with enthusiasm. "I'm Etsuko Yamazaki, a third year. You're a second year, right?" Ino nods. "Well, since I'm your senpai, just come to me whenever you need any help, and I'll do my best."

"Which means she probably won't be any help at all," comments Azusa.

She shoots him a scathing look, which he deflects by raising his novel to cover his eyes. "I'm sure you've already noticed by now, but Azusa here's the resident cynic. He's harmless, though. Sticks and stones and all that, you know?"

Ino says, "Yeah, he seems like a fun guy," in such a light-hearted way that it's ambiguous as to whether she's being sarcastic or sincere. "So who else lives here?"

Ino admires the interior of the lounge, which is quite elaborate considering the fact that this is supposed to be a high school dormitory. Sleek black leather couches are set up around a mahogany coffee table, in range with a flat widescreen TV. Hanging from the red and white walls are large paintings and portraits in gold frames. A red oriental rug sits on top of the white-tiled floor, well-tended to plants line the corners of the room, and a bookcase filled with encyclopedias, novels, DVDs, and CDs is pushed up against the wall. The small office, walled off from the rest of the lounge, has a window that reveals a desk, chair, some filing cabinets, and a couch. Through a small entryway near the staircase, Ino can make out a kitchen and some chairs.

"Well," Etsuko says, "there's me and Azusa, you now... There's another transfer student, but I barely saw him before he ran out, so I'm not sure what he's like. Oh! And there's Walker. Well, his name's Akito Sozuki, but we call him Walker. He's a really nice guy; I think you'll like him. He's a second year, too, so maybe you guys will be in the same class. Just as a warning, he's deaf, but he can read lips really well."

All of this information is staggering, but Ino tries to take it all in. "Cool, cool... So, just the five of us live here?" It seems strange, considering how large the building is and the fact that most dormitories house a hundred or more students. "Is this some kind of 'special' dorm?" she asks, mostly as a joke. When Etsuko and Azusa exchange a look, however, she knows she hit the nail on the head. "Wow, seriously?"

"This is an old Kirijo vacation home," Azusa explains. "They've been generous funders of the island and the school for a long time, so they donated this to KI when they didn't need it anymore. Actually, I think the current head donated it when her father died, back in 2009."

"Oh, that's right," Etsuko murmurs. "I remember that making the headlines the morning of. Takeharu Kirijo, right? He was a real big shot... You won't find anyone on this island who dislikes the Kirijos. They're like royalty here."

"Anyway." He sighs, as Etsuko's gone far off topic. "This is the only coed dormitory on campus. It's actually a lot smaller than the standard dorms, which makes sense because you have to go through special screening to get accepted into here. A lot of people apply because they like the idea of being in a coed dorm, but you have to meet special requirements to get in." His eyes rake over her form from top to bottom; he doesn't look impressed, and Ino can't help but feel mildly insulted. "Lucky you."

"I don't remember applying to a special dorm," Ino mutters.

"I think they just screen every application that comes in," Etsuko says. "I don't know all the details, but this is definitely the nicest place on campus." Ino looks around and can't help but agree. The lounge itself looks like something that should belong in a castle. "So, we should get you settled into your room, yeah?" Etsuko stands up and walks over to Ino's discarded bags on the ground. (When Ino tries to insist that she can carry them on her own, Etsuko swats her hands away.) "Guys live on the third floor and girls live on the second floor, so luckily for us we only have to go up one flight of stairs." She turns to Azusa. "Aren't you gonna offer to help out?"

He doesn't even look up from his book. "You look like you've got a pretty good handle on it. I trust you."

"Harmless, sometimes useless — just two of the many faces of Azusa Yano." He waves Etsuko away, unaffected by her insult, and she blows a raspberry at him. "Phew, you really brought a lot of things, Ino... I only have half this amount of stuff in my room."

Ino laughs impishly as she follows her upperclassman up the stairs. "Well, I am in this for the long haul."

* * *

_Closing Song:_ "The Phoenix" - Fall Out Boy

* * *

I usually try to introduce all the characters at once, but that's really overwhelming and I think it proved to be too much last time, so I'm trying to take it slower with this story.

Thank you all for your support!

**xx, **der kapitan


	3. high school blues

Author's Note:

Phew, sorry for not updating this in, like, a month. I don't really have an excuse, other than I've been working more on my other stories and being lazy... Oops. Hopefully you guys will forgive me and continue to stick by me, ha ha! Thank you all so much for your support (yes, even _you_ silent readers!) and kind words. My DeviantArt is up and can be accessed from my profile. Right now I only have Ino and Azusa drawn, but I plan on getting to everyone... eventually.

I'm also pleased to know that I took you off guard with Ken's role, haha. To be honest, Ken really isn't one of my favorite P3 characters... Like, at all. But hey, maybe I'll like him more eventually.

* * *

**Ragnarok  
**a Persona (© ATLUS) fanfiction

Chapter Two  
High School Blues

* * *

_Opening Song:_ "Dirty Paws" - Of Monsters and Men

_and for a while things were cold,  
__they were scared down in their holes  
__the forest that once was green  
__was colored black by those killing machines  
__but she and her furry friends  
__took down the queen bee and her men,  
__and that's how the story goes_

* * *

_April 4, 2016, Yamasachihiko, Kaihin, Kageri International High School_

Even for an international boarding school, KI is a sight to behold. The architecture is modern, with large open windows and shiny steel exteriors. Perfectly trimmed green hedges line the red-bricked pathways, opening up in the center to a rounded courtyard that's decorated with statues reminiscent of Greek and Roman sculptures. The campus is vast, larger than Ino has ever seen, and every building has royal blue-and-black banners hanging from the sides. Students dressed in the uniform (plaid royal blue bottoms, white tops, royal blue ties/ribbons) run around to and fro, meeting up with old friends and exchanging the latest gossip. It's a little overwhelming, especially considering how small her last school was, but excitement stirs in Ino's stomach.

Etsuko comes up from behind, grinning and wearing a slight variation of the uniform with light blue cardigan tied around her waist. "Welcome to KI, Ino!" She clasps her hands on the underclassmen's shoulders and gives them a little reassuring squeeze. "This is it."

"No kidding," she says, mouth slightly ajar in awe. "This is, like, five times as big as my last school! Do you ever get lost?"

"Let me tell you," the brunette starts with a laugh, "I've been here for two yours and there are still place on this campus I haven't seen or been to. They hand out maps on your first day and as part of orientation, but it's not gonna help you. Sometimes you just gotta play the guessing game and hope for the best. But hey, don't forget that I'm your senpai and I'm here to help, okay? If you're ever lost just call my name, and I'll be there!"

The girls stand on the pathway, grinning at each other like idiots, before Azusa roughly shoves through them. "You guys are blocking the way," he grunts when Etsuko shakes a fist at him. "How the hell can you be so obnoxious at seven in the morning...? Two of them now... Jesus Christ."

Etsuko places her hands on her hips and sticks her tongue out at his retreating back. "He's always a sourpuss in the mornings; don't let him bring you down. ... Well, to be fair, sourpuss is his default mood."

"Hmm, I'm sure he can be fun if he wants to." Ino's reluctant expression and Etsuko's deadpan suggest that neither believe the former's words.

"Anyway, you should find your classroom," Etsuko suggests. "Like I said, the school's big and it's easy to get lost. There are boards up in the lobby in the main building, and it takes a while to find your name, too, 'cause there are so many people." Suddenly, her brown eyes catch sight of a familiar face, and her shoulders raise in urgency. "Oh, if you wanna meet up for lunch or something, let me know! Good luck with the rest of your day, and make new friends!" Then she's off like a lightning bolt, still chattering away even though her conversation partner has changed.

_"She's nice,"_ Ino thinks as she heads into the main building. The bulletin boards Etsuko was talking about are _huge_, and filled with thousands of names in small black print. On top of that, a crowd of students are gathered in front of them, making the feat to find her name that much more intimidating. _"No mercy for the weak!"_ she tells herself, rolls up her sleeves, and pushes through.

Ino is small — 5' 3", slight frame, slender limbs — and she's easily devoured by the mass, who have no pity or sympathy for the transfer student. _"No mercy," _she wails, but with much less enthusiasm than thirty seconds prior. She steps on toes, has her toes stepped on, bumps and shoves, is nearly suffocated, and eventually rams right into a lean figure whose face almost meets one of the bulletin boards. "Oh, geez!" she yelps, reaching out to steady him (and herself). "I'm so sorry!"

He holds onto her arm gratefully, though there's a hint of irritation on his face. "It's okay," he says. "No one here really understands personal space..." His eyes survey the other students, who are still pushing and shoving to get to the boards. The stranger looks down at her hands, which are still clasped onto him. "Do you need any help?"

She grins impishly. "Yes, please. My name's Ino Hakuna, 2nd year."

With a nod, he quickly scans the papers in search of her name. "Oh!" He turns to her with a smile, and she mentally notes that he's awfully cute. "It looks like we're going to be in the same class, Hakuna-san. I'm Ken Amada."

Ino shakes the hand that's extended to hers, realizes how small and dainty her fingers are when they're wrapped in his, and beams up at him. "Nice to meet you, Ken-kun!" He's startled by her familiarity, but figures that she doesn't look like the kind of girl to be bothered by formalities. "Ow! Ow, okay, we'll move, we'll move...!" After a couple more mutters and protests, the second years meander to the side to get away from the potential blood bath. "Geez, people can be really scary..."

"Well, the first day back is usually pretty chaotic," Ken says, though he winces when a freshman is mercilessly thrown to the ground for trying to dive in. "Still, Gekkoukan was never this bad."

"Gekkoukan?"

"I'm a transfer student," he explains. "Gekkoukan is my old high school. It's on Tatsumi Port Island."

She recognizes the name instantly, her face lighting up in acknowledgment. "That's so cool! My dad used to visit there a lot for work. I've never been there, but he used to bring back a lot of souvenirs and pictures."

"Yeah, it's nice." Ino doesn't totally buy it because of the less than enthusiastic look on his face, but she doesn't push it. "Are you from around here?"

"No, I'm a transfer student, too. I'm from Kyoto. I just got here yesterday, actually, so I haven't seen much of the city yet."

Ken chuckles. "Same here. I mean, I just arrived yesterday, but I've spent more time running around the city than settling in. Yamasachihiko's a lot bigger and diverse than Tatsumi Port Island, and I still haven't really got the train system down..."

"You're telling me! I got lost so many times trying to figure it out. On top of that, I missed the train to Furuha, so—"

"Alright, alright, alright, outta the _way_!" A young man, probably a teacher considering his business-esque attire, stands on top of the counter with a megaphone in hand. Those who are unfortunate enough to stand right besides or beneath him cower from the volume of his voice. "You guys are crowding the lobby and making this a very unsafe fire zone, which means you're also creating a possible lawsuit. Get to class, you truants!" They scatter like ants, which brings a triumphant grin to his face. "Damn kids." As he hops off the counter and prepares to head up the stairs, his red eyes land on Ken and Ino. "Oi, no loitering."

"S-sorry," Ken apologizes quickly, lowering his eyes in embarrassment. For someone who looks so young (twenty-two, twenty-three tops?), his presence really demands authority. "We'll get going."

Ino, however, isn't deterred. "But class isn't starting for a while," she protests. When the irritated teacher directs his glare at them, she easily deflects it; Ken, on the other hand, attempts to sink into the ground. "And it isn't _technically _loitering, right? We're standing still in this corner, and it's not really aimless 'cause we're planning on going to class eventually..."

"Don't get sassy with your dictionary definitions," he retorts. "Am I gonna have to write your smart ass up for disobeying authority?"

"But I'm not—"

Ken clamps a hand over her mouth before she can get herself (and/or him) into anymore trouble. "Sorry, Sir, I'll take care of her, Sir." He bows repeatedly while pulling her away, out of the lobby and into the stairwell. Once the teacher's footsteps head in the opposite direction and disappear, Ken finally releases the thrashing teen. "I can't tell if you were trying to be snarky or if you genuinely didn't get the atmosphere," he says, brow drawn inward.

"He was being a bully," Ino mutters as she smooths out the crinkles in her collarless white blouse.

"He's a teacher," Ken says plainly. "He gets paid to be a bully."

"I feel like there's something wrong with that statement..."

Ken rubs the back of his neck, where his long fingers meet with short brown strands. _"It's been a while since I've gotten in a hair cut,"_ he thinks, mildly distracted. _"Maybe I should find some place this week..."_ He looks down at the girl with orange hair, who's fiddling with the diamond-encrusted white watch around her wrist, and feels something — he can't quite identify it — stir deep in his chest. _"She seems familiar... But I've never seen her before, I'm sure. I just get this feeling..."_

"Ken-kun," she says, breaking through his thoughts, "do you know where our classroom is?"

"Ahhh..." He reaches into his book bag and pulls out a map given to him during orientation. Wasn't she supposed to have one, too...? "Our homeroom is 2-B, so..." When unfolded, the map requires two people to hold it out in order to see it entirely. Different classrooms and areas are highlighted in different colors, but the legend has so many names that it's impossible to read the small print and make the connections. "This map is terrible and this school is too big," he decides with a grimace.

For some reason, she laughs, like it's no big deal that they're going to get hopelessly lost on their first day of school. "C'mon, it'll be an adventure!"

Ken feels like he's heard those words before, and that doesn't ease his worries in the slightest.

* * *

"Where the hell is my coffee...? Oi, will you neanderthals sit down and shut up? Why do they keep giving me the difficult classes...? Alright, alright, let's get started. I'm Erik Albrecht, your homeroom and math teacher. I expect all of you to be on time and ready for class—"

"Ken-kun, this is it!"

"A-are you sure, Hakuna-san?"

"Yes, this is definitely it! Look at the sign!"

And sure enough, on the first day of school, Ino and Ken come bumbling into their homeroom class five minutes after the bell. In addition to everyone in the room turning to look and/or laugh at their plight, the blond devil from earlier is standing where the teacher should be standing. Ino, red in the face but not nearly as crimson as Ken, is struck speechless. "How nice of the two of you to join us," he greets through gritted teeth.

"We got lost," Ino admits timidly.

"Obviously," he drawls, unimpressed. "Sit down. If I wanted to spend an forty extra minutes with you two on the first day, I'd write you up. But I'm feeling awfully gracious and forgiving today." Surprisingly, Ino takes her seat without complaint, in a free desk next to the window, and Ken sits down in front of her. "Now, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted…"

She drops her bag to the ground and pull out a notebook, at least to pretend she's paying attention. "Mmm… All my pens are missing," she mumbles, fumbling through the bag with no luck. Slightly desperate because she's (only mildly) terrified of her homeroom teacher, she inconspicuously taps her neighbor on the shoulder. "'S'cuse me. Can I borrow a pen or pencil? I guess I left mine at home."

The boy, with unusual curly white hair and blue eyes, practically recoils at the touch. (Inwardly, she wonders if her vanilla perfume is _that_ potent.) "S-sure," he stutters after a long moment of inner debate.

_"Maybe he's one of those guys who's really protective of his pens,"_ she thinks as he pulls one out from his pouch. Granted, she'd always been one of those students notorious for borrowing pens and never giving them back/biting on them so the owner didn't want them back, so she can understand his reluctance. "Thanks!" she chirps when he hands it to her.

He swallows thickly, but otherwise doesn't respond.

After he turns forward presses her nose into her shoulder and inhales. _"I only sprayed twice... It's not _that_ bad..."_

Class drags on, the way it usually does, and at some point or another Ino stops pretending to listen and ends up sketching an entire fashion collection in her notebook. She occassionally catches Silent Classmate #1 staring at her, which makes her self-conscious not just about her scent but about her general presence, but all in all, nothing exciting to report. _"Well, it is_ school," she admits. _"Even if the buildings are pretty and there are a lot more people..."_ On top of that, math has never been one of her stronger subjects. _"Bummer..."_

Lunch rolls around, and Ino quickly tugs on Ken's sleeve to catch his attention. "Wanna have lunch with me?" she asks, wearing a grin that she knows is difficult to say 'no' to.

He blinks before smiling. "Of course."

Ino's face absolutely lights up. "Great!"

* * *

Etsuko hums a cheerful tune as she skips up the steps to the roof, her poorly wrapped lunch in hand. Though there are several students already up there, she easily spots Azusa, whose feet are dangling through the bars as he chomps down on his onigiri. "Found you!" she announces, laughing as she takes the vacant spot beside him.

"Didn't want to be found," he answers in a mocking sing-song tune.

Never one to be deterred to by someone's snark, least of all Azusa's, she settles comfortably on the ground and unpacks her lunch. "Geez, it's only the first day and classes are already boring... I really need to focus and bring up my grades this year, though..." She sighs and hangs her head; she steals a glance in Azusa's direction, as though waiting for him to respond, but all she gets is silence and that really isn't shocking. "What about you, Top Student? This year's gonna be really important for you, too, huh? Are you still taking those university courses?"

"Yeah. My folks are paying for them and they're easy, so why not." He shrugs.

"Are you for sure taking over the company when you graduate, then?"

"Not if I can help it," he replies with a scoff. "As far as I know, my pop's gonna be in the business for a while. He's not handing it over until he's got a retirement home in every country in the world." His expression is one of barely concealed disdain, despite the nonchalance in his voice. "They're all expecting me to, though. Katsu's never leaving the temple, Sanae's spending thousands on med-school, and Jin's too young. It's probably gonna happen."

Etsuko, who's known Azusa for a while, easily identifies the negative emotions in his body language. Azusa Yano isn't an easy person to read, though that's mostly attributed to the fact that people are too afraid to get close and read him. They live together, though, and Etsuko likes to think that they're friends, even if he'll never admit it. "But do you really wanna do it? Inherit the hotels, I mean. You don't really sound excited..."

Something flashes in his eyes — it's too quick for her to recognize — before something akin to anger settles in the gray depths. "Whatever, it doesn't matter. It's none of your business, anyway. Worry about your own future." That's the end of their short-lived heart-to-heart, and he confirms it by angrily finishing off his onigiri.

_"Geez, you really can be a jerk sometimes,"_ Etsuko thinks, though she forces a well-practiced smile of understanding. "Hm, I hope Ino's enjoying her first day," she says, attempting to overcome the staccato change of topic. "She seems like a really bright girl— happy and optimistic, I mean. Well, I mean, I'm sure she's smart, too, but..."

"She's annoying," he says plainly.

"You think everyone's annoying," she corrects, and he doesn't disagree. "I bet it's hard transferring schools, especially in high school. She looked really excited to come here, though, so it should be an easier transition for her. Speaking of transferring, have you seen the other transfer student yet? What's his name again...?"

"Hell if I know," Azusa mutters as he digs through his pockets for his cigarettes. Before he can fish one out, Etsuko slaps his hand (knowing his lung-burning capacities too well by now) and earns a glare. "What the hell?"

"Smoking on school property is against the rules!" she says.

"Not like anyone would see..."

Though she sighs, she's pleased to see that he doesn't make another effort to smoke. "You know, I'm all for risk-taking and being reckless and, you know, being a teenager in general, but even I know where to draw the line."

Azusa rolls his eyes. "Yeah, like smoking is the worst thing I can do."

"It's pretty bad," she confirms.

"Okay, _Mom_," he retorts. "You're the only one who complains."

"That's because Walker's intimidated by you."

"Walker's intimidated by his own shadow."

"It only seems like that to you because you being around him automatically stiffens him up," Etsuko points out. She unwraps a small toffee candy she'd been saving for last, and pops it into her mouth with a please smile. "And just because he's not as standoffish and 'against the world' as you are doesn't mean he's afraid of his own shadow." She playfully pokes his arm, resulting in a grunt. "You could learn a thing or two from your kouhai."

"Whatever."

Azusa's all 'whatever's and feigned indifference, which makes him difficult to be around most of the time. Sometimes, usually after a failed conversation or one gone awry, Etsuko wonders why she even tries. _"'Cause even if he's a jerk most of the time and he pretends like he doesn't care about anything or anyone, he always looks lonely,"_ a voice in the back of her head tell her. And she sees it when he looks out over the city, his brow furrowed and his lips pressed tightly together.

* * *

_Yamasachihiko, Kaihin, Kirijo Coed Dormitory_

Ino sighs as she falls back onto the couch, relieved to be accepted by its warm cushions and soft embrace. "It's so nice to be back," she sighs, slumping downwards in a very unladylike fashion. "I'm really excited for dinner, too... Hey, Etsuko-senpai! What do most people do for dinner?"

"Well, if you're rich, you go out to eat, but if you're a poor high school student, then you gorge yourself on ramen," Etsuko answers, opening up a cupboard full of different types of ramen. "My personal favorite are the spicy ones, and Azusa calls dibs on the beef-flavored ones... We all pitch in to buy them, though, so don't take him too seriously."

"Wouldn't dream of it," she replies with a laugh.

After heating up two bowls of ramen (one spicy for herself and one shrimp for Ino), Etsuko takes a seat on the couch next to her underclassman. "So, how was your first day?"

"Good," she says as she sits up. "Hey, can you do me a favor? And be totally honest. Do I use too much perfume?"

"Uhh...?"

Just then, a slender male with curly dirty blonde hair and green eyes walks in — accompanied by Ken Amada. "Good afternoon, Etsuko-senpai," he says, inclining his head respectfully towards Etsuko. "Oh, is this our other transfer student? Hello, I'm Akito Sozuki, though they've probably told you by now that they just call me Walker. Ah, and this is—"

"Ken!" Ino identifies, a mixture of shock and happiness on her face. "You live here, too?"

Having split up after school due to "business," Ken hadn't seen what Ino meant as 'home.' "Hakuna-san," he replies, taken back by the situation. "This is the dorm you're staying in?"

"You bet!"

Etsuko's gaze switches from Walker, who looks like he's trying to keep up with the chain of events, to Ino, who looks like she's about to jump over the seat, to Ken, who looks as confused as Etsuko feels. "You guys know each other?"

"We're in the same class," Ino explains.

"You meet everyone before we can even get the chance to properly introduce you," Etsuko realizes, still in mild disbelief. "You can really get around, huh?"

Ino giggles timidly as she rubs the back of her neck. "I guess I'm just good at running into people when I get lost..." She shifts on the couch so that she's facing the new arrivals, then gets on her knees so that she can shake Walker's hand. "Oh, anyway, nice to meet you, Walker! I'm Ino. They told me a little about you yesterday, but it's nice to finally see you in person." Her eyes travel down to the white scarf hanging around his neck. "I like your scarf!"

He sees the light blue cashmere scarf she wears and offers a small smile. "I like yours, too. It's nice to meet someone else with an appreciation for scarves," he jokes. "Are the two of you already settled in?" he asks, addressing both of the new students.

While Ken nods affirmatively, Ino pulls back into her shoulders sheepishly. "Well, Etsuko-senpai helped me carry my things to my room yesterday, but that depends on your definition of 'settled in.'" Meaning: she hasn't unpacked a single thing, other than her bedding and uniform.

"There's no rush," Etsuko says, spotting her embarrassment. "Settle in at your own pace! After all, this is gonna be your home for a while."

* * *

_Closing Song:_ "The Phoenix" - Fall Out Boy

* * *

For some reason, this was really hard to write, but I did really enjoy the conversation between Azusa and Etsuko. Their dynamic is fun to work with, haha.

I'm going in and out with my Persona phase, so I'm not sure when the next update will be...? I'll try for soon, but my summer classes are coming to an end, which means final projects and papers are something I need to focus on.

Nonetheless, thank you all for your support!

**xx, **der kapitan


	4. curiosity killed the cat

Author's Note:

Wowowow, I am so sorry that this took forever to update. Original ideas are a little more difficult to churn out (especially since I have a script to go by for _L'Effet Papillon_), so it takes longer for me to write. I'm also lazy and have been spending most of my writing time for Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin, so...

Priorities. I have none.

* * *

**Ragnarok  
**a Persona (© ATLUS) fanfiction

Chapter Three  
Curiosity Killed the Cat

* * *

_Opening Song:_ "Dirty Paws" - Of Monsters and Men

_and for a while things were cold,  
__they were scared down in their holes  
__the forest that once was green  
__was colored black by those killing machines  
__but she and her furry friends  
__took down the queen bee and her men,  
__and that's how the story goes_

* * *

_April 5, 2016, Yamasachihiko, Kaihin, Kageri International High School_

The next morning, Ino walks to school alongside Ken and Walker. While she excitedly chats about the local art with the latter, Ken spends the majority of the route with a newspaper unfolded in front of him. "**APATHY SYNDROME CLAIMS FIVE MORE VICTIMS**" is printed on the front page, with a picture of the hospitalized individuals underneath it. The image isn't particularly gruesome, though it does stir some discomfort: all of the victims are slack-jawed, sickly pale, with wide and empty eyes. _"I can't believe it's happening again,"_ Ken thinks as he scans the article. _"But why...? Why is it happening again? Didn't we stop this six years ago?"_ A question that he refuses to acknowledge tugs at the back of his mind: Was her sacrifice for nothing?

Ino carefully pulls the newspaper down in order to look at his face. "You've been reading this entire time, Ken-kun," she says, wearing a small smile. "You're lucky you haven't run into anyone yet."

Ken blushes. "S-sorry..."

"You're reading the article on Apathy Syndrome, right?" Walker asks. When Ken nods affirmatively, a sad expression crosses the blond's face. "It's unfortunate that this is happening... I hear it's only on Yamasachihiko, too. The doctors can't figure out the cause, or why it hasn't spread everywhere else. People are really starting to worry."

"How long has this been happening?" Ino asks.

"A couple of months, according to the article," Ken answers. "It started out with only a few cases, but the numbers have been growing over the past two weeks." He easily recalls the void expressions of the Lost when they littered Tatsumi Port Island, before every Full Moon Operation. All of those major Shadows have been defeated, though, and Nyx is gone. _"For now,"_ he has to remind himself. For as long as humanity exists, so too will Nyx — even if it's in slumber.

"You know," Walker says, "the first victim was from our school."

"Really!?" Ino gasps, eyes widening. "Did you know her, Walker?"

"A little..." His lips twist into a small frown as he nervously fiddles with the edge of his white scarf. "Actually, she was in my class... We were together during our first year, too. I didn't talk to her very much, though, so I only know what everyone else knows." Walker shrugs a little, obviously a little perturbed but trying to brush it off. "She became a celebrity after it happened."

Ken sighs. "Well, people only pay attention after something tragic's happened... Otherwise they don't care."

The suddenly morose atmosphere starts to suffocate Ino, who looks physically uncomfortable. "I'm sure she had a lot of friends and family," she protests. "Well, _has_. She's... She's still alive, right?"

"Yes," Walker says. "She's in the hospital, though. Her parents are paying to have her hooked up to the life machine, although..." He scratches the back of his neck, averting his eyes. "Although it's not much use. She isn't responding to anything or anyone. Her heart's still beating, but they can't sense any brain activity. She's only alive in the technical sense."

What a sad way to be talked about, Ino can't help but think. "But even if it's technical, as long as she's still alive, there's a chance, right?"

There's a noticeable dip in his brow, one that suggests he finds a problem in her question, but it disappears quickly as he puts on a smile. "Would you consider yourself an optimist, Ino-chan?"

There is absolutely nothing bashful about her grin. "Of course!"

Ken chuckles as he lightly pats her on the shoulder. "We could use a couple more optimists in the world. It's nice to have someone always searching for that light at the end of the tunnel, especially when everyone else is blind." The way she hums cheerfully in response and moves forward with a skip in her step is too familiar. Before he can stop it, his memory reels, bringing him back to the Iwatodai Dorm with the other members of SEES. Everything that was hurled their way — the twelve Shadows, Ikutsuki's betrayal, Ryoji and Nyx — should have stopped them. They should have failed, more than once. Yet, one person continued to push, continued to seek out that light.

"Hey, Ken-kun?" Ino's voice draws him back to reality; he inwardly curses himself for letting himself go like that. "Are you okay? You've got a kinda spacey look on your face."

He apologizes quickly, hoping that the other two don't see him sweating. "Maybe I shouldn't read the newspaper so early in the morning," he says lamely. He awkwardly folds up the newspaper and crams it into his book bag. "Looks like we're already here, anyway... What class are you in, Walker?"

"2-A," he says. "Both of you are in 2-B, right?"

"Yup!" Ino answers, popping the "p" loudly.

"So your homeroom teacher is Erik Albrecht, then." Both Ken and Ino wince, the memory of yesterday's humiliation still fresh in their minds. Walker laughs, even if he does give them a sympathetic look. "He's notorious throughout the school. Even third years are scared of him. He's pretty new, though... This is only his second year teaching at KI, I think."

"He looks young," Ken comments.

"The KI administration is always looking to get people from overseas to come, students and teachers," Walker explains. "He'd just gotten his teaching license in Germany when he was recruited. He's a bit of a jerk, but they really wanted him."

"You know a lot about him," Ino observes.

The pinkness of his cheeks is very noticeable, though neither Ken nor Ino comment. "Mr. Albrecht is actually pretty popular with the female population," he answers quickly. "He's— Ah, they say he's attractive. And, well, he's foreign, which is another factor."

Ino taps her chin thoughtfully as she _really_ thinks about her homeroom teacher's appearance, trying to disregard his scowl and the way he embarrassed her in front of her classmates. "I guess, objectively speaking, he's kinda attractive... Then again, I also have a thing for blondes, so I don't know how objective I am." She doesn't realize that Walker is blushing (even more) until she recognizes that he's remained silent. "Oh! Oh, Walker, don't blush! Of _course_ you're attractive, but I wouldn't jump you just because you have blonde hair!"

Ken resists the urge to burst out laughing as Walker attempts to sink into his scarf. "I don't think you're helping much, Hakuna-san."

Ino and Ken part ways with the still red-faced Walker so that they can enter their respective classrooms. Fortunately, they're early this time, though there's no sight of their homeroom teacher. "I guess we got lucky today!" Ino chirps, moving over to her seat. As she settles, pulling out her notebook and pens (which she remembered today), she glances at the boy next to her out of the corner of her eye. She sniffs her shirt, decides that she smells like the perfect dose of vanilla perfume, and taps her neighbor on the shoulder. "Hi!"

The white-haired boy looks positively startled. "Hello," he replies, sounding unsure.

"Thanks for letting me borrow your pen yesterday. It was a big help." She quickly digs through her orange pouch, pulling out the pen lent to her the day before. "By the way, I'm Ino."

"Lin," he says, taking the pen. He opens his mouth, like he wants to continue the conversation, but ultimately decides against it and turns forward.

Even if he seems to think the conversation's over, Ino has plenty to say — as usual. "Nice to meet you, Lin! It's always nice to have a friendly neighbor, especially when you're new. I mean, not that I couldn't ask Ken-kun," (she slaps the boy in front of her on the back, earning a surprised grunt), "if I really needed a pen, but it's a lot less conspicuous if I ask the person next to me. I have a feeling I'm already in Mr. Albrecht's bad books, anyway."

"It doesn't take much to get in his bad books," Lin says. "Although coming in late on the first day is gutsy for anyone."

Ino blinks at the deadpan delivery of his line, but figures that he means it as a joke (rather than as an insulting comment on her lack of punctuality) and cracks a grin. "Well, I was voted most gutsy in elementary and junior high!"

The corner of his lips quirk upwards ever-so-slightly. "Are you aiming for the all time record, then?"

"Oh, absolutely!"

"So—"

Lin's next question is broken off into a yelp when a rolled up magazine thwacks the back of his head. "Quit flirtin' and open up your textbooks, kiddos." Lin, whose face is burning in shame and embarrassment, tries to sink into his seat as their homeroom teacher saunters by. Erik Albrecht sticks the magazine under his arm and cheerfully sips at his steaming coffee, which is apparently the reason why he's later than usual. "I'd love to do some field research observing hormonal teenagers in their natural habitat, but unfortunately I'm a math teacher, not a sociology teacher. Besides, all that social science bullshit is conjecture."

While Mr. Albrecht sets himself up at the front desk, Ino mouths a concerned 'Sorry!' to Lin, though he doesn't notice because he's too busy recovering from his trauma. _"Teachers can be really cruel,"_ Ino thinks as she taps her pen against her notebook.

Ken does his best to keep his composure, especially since he's in the first row. _"Two guys in one morning,"_ he thinks, stealing a glance at the girl behind him. Just two minutes into class and she's already doodling in the corner of her paper. (He notices, with some amusement, that she sticks her tongue out of the corner of her mouth when she focuses on something.) _"This one's deadly."_

* * *

KI has an impressive inventory of lunch food, consisting of foods from all over the globe. While the idea of being a food connoisseur and trying new things is super exciting, though, Ino settles with some old-fashioned bread. "Are you sure you don't want anything else, Ino-chan?" Walker asks as he picks up some North European pastry. "I know a lot of school cafeterias have questionable food, but KI is pretty top notch. You get what you pay for. We can share something!"

Mouth full of bread, Ino shakes her head. It takes her a couple of moments to swallow everything she stuffed in her mouth before she can answer him. "Ahh, thank you so much, but I'll have to pass this time. I've already gone over my carb intake for the day..." She looks down at the half-eaten bread mournfully.

Walker looks utterly confused. "Carb intake...? You monitor how many carbs you eat?"

"Well... Yeah. Don't you?"

They both look down at his arms, which are filled with packaged items bought from the school vendor. "No," he says simply.

Suddenly, her eyes roam up and down his body in way that can only be described as envious, though it still has him writhing uncomfortably. "How do you stay so skinny?" she demands, poking his sides. "Gah, I bet your metabolism's awesome... Oh, do you work out a lot? You look like you could be a runner. We should go on morning runs together! It's always so much fun when there are more people! Ken-kun—"

"I'll pass on the morning run," he cuts in with an apologetic smile. "It's hard enough for me to get up for school. If you ever feel like going for morning coffee, though, feel free to knock on my door."

Cheering, Ino, loops her arms through Walker and Ken's, pulling them close. (And resulting in Walker dropping most of his lunch, much to his horror.) "This is so great! Dormmate bonding time!"

"Dormmate bonding time? Pencil me in!" Etsuko somehow manages to wriggle her way into the three-man embrace, poking her head between Ino and Walker and wrapping her arms around their waists. "You kouhai can't go leaving your senpai out. It'll make us feel unloved. Right, Azusa?"

"Feel free to leave me out," he retorts, hands shoved disinterestedly into his pockets. "I'm allergic to affection."

"Oooh, that's not true. He loves hugs and kisses just as much as the next guy," Etsuko insists, flashing him a teasing grin when he glowers at her. "By the way, have you guys heard about the fourth floor bathroom?"

"Oh, an urban legend?" Ino asks, eyes lighting up in excitement.

"Urban legend?" Azusa snorts. "What are you, a kid?"

Etsuko waves him off dismissively, though Ino looks terribly offended. "Urban legends are fun, no matter how old you are. Stop picking on the kouhai, Azusa." He snorts, unimpressed, and takes a large bite out of his hamburger. (Which, Ino notes with disgust, is dripping with grease.) "Anyway, no, not really an urban legend. It's been under 'construction' for the past couple of months."

Walker's eyes widen in realization. "The fourth floor bathroom — you mean the girls' bathroom?"

"That's the one."

"What's so important about the girls' fourth floor bathroom?" Ken asks.

"That's where the first victim of Apathy Syndrome was found," Walker answers, looking a little uncomfortable once again. "She'd been having trouble with her family and was missing a lot of days from school. When she came back, she didn't show up to class, and they found her in the bathroom."

Etsuko bobs her head. "That's right, that's right! So of course, now everyone is saying that it's haunted and you'll find her ghost in there... Of course, that's just silly because she's not dead."

_"Not technically,"_ Ino thinks, recalling Walker's words from earlier.

"Anyway, it's been closed since the incident. They say it's to reinstall some things and make it nicer, but it's definitely just because of the rumors and everyone's scared. I mean, I don't really blame them. I get shivers when I walk past it on my own." She ducks out from underneath Ino and Walker in order to place her hands on her hips. "It would be fun to do an investigation or something, though, wouldn't it?"

Azusa scoffs and tussles her hair in a way that's more mocking than affectionate. "Are you crazy? That bathroom is off limits, which means you'll get a detention — or worse — if you get caught in there. Why don't you do something useful, like investigate the inside of your textbooks?"

"I know that's a comment on my intelligence, but I'm not going to retaliate," she replies, sickly sweet, as she smooths out her red waves. "Anyway, it was just a joke! ... Mostly." Etsuko turns to the underclassman with an uncharacteristically stern expression. "As your senpai, I'm supposed to be giving you good advice to keep you out of trouble. Don't go around doing anything dangerous, okay? You'll all worry me." As if to make a point, she stands on her tiptoes (and she's pretty tall, especially standing next to Ino) to pat Ken on the head.

Azusa rolls his eyes dramatically. "Quit treating them like your babies."

"Hey, we all live in the same dorm, so we should treat each other like family!" she says, punching his arm lightly. "So then we should dine like a family."

"Oh hell n—"

Before he can make his escape, Etsuko wraps an arm around his, and while Azusa is larger than her in all aspects, she manages to keep him in place. "We should all get to know each other a little better, hmm? Ino-chan and Ken-kun barely know us!"

"Sure, I'm all for it," Ino says, easily deflecting the glare Azusa shoots at her. "I was just gonna wander around school, but getting to know people sounds fun, too."

Etsuko grins. "Great! I know this perfect spot on the roof."

* * *

The day is over before she knows it, and everyone is getting up to go home. "Do you wanna home together, Ken-kun?" she asks as he hurriedly grabs his book bag.

"Sorry, Hakuna-san, I can't today," he answers, shaking his head. "I have a meeting. I'll probably see you sometime tonight, though." Without leaving much room for questions, Ken jogs out of the classroom, then breaks out into a full sprint when he's in the hallway.

Ino purses her lips. "Bummer... I hate walking by myself..." She glances at Lin, who's taking his time packing up. "Where do you live, Lin-kun?"

_"'Lin-kun'?"_ he repeats in his head. "I live in the Daidouji district."

Her mouth forms an impressed 'o.' "That's the richest district in Yamasachihiko, isn't it?"

"Y-yeah..." He rubs the back of his neck, as if embarrassed by the fact. "A lot of people who work for Kirijo have houses in Daidouji so they don't have to make the long commute. My dad does some construction work for them."

"That's cool! I haven't been able to visit yet, but Walker says it's really nice."

"Yeah, I guess." Silence falls over them (more uncomfortable for him than for her, as she looks positively engrossed) before he stands up, flushed and a bit shaky. The intensity of her gaze is a little too strong, even if it's meant to be friendly, and not something he's used to dealing with. It's easy to be "that quiet kid in class" unless you're sitting next to the chatterbox — which happens to be his case. "I need to go. I, uh, have practice."

"For what?" she asks, oblivious to his discomfort.

"Music club."

Her eyes absolutely light up, in a way that makes him think she's going to glomp him; he moves backwards, even though she remains in her seat. "Music club? That's so great! Ahhh, I'm so jealous of people who can play. I don't have any musical talent whatsoever." She sighs, like it's the greatest disappointment in the world. "What do you play?"

"Piano," he says, still a bit unnerved.

"You should play for me sometime!"

For second (perhaps third or fourth — he isn't keeping track anymore) time today, his cheeks light up because of Ino. He averts his blue eyes, steadying them on his feet as he tries to get his heart rate under control. "Y-yeah, sure. Maybe. Sometime." With his eyes still attached to the ground, he grabs his backpack, swings it over his shoulder, mumbles something that barely resembles a "goodbye," and races out of the classroom.

"Ah, wait!" Ino shouts. "Lin-kun, you dropped—" But he's already far out of hearing and sight. Confused and mildly concerned, Ino kneels on the ground to pick up some sheet music that fell out of his backpack. "I guess I can give this to him tomorrow... I hope he doesn't need it today."

She lingers for a little while longer, occasionally talking to a classmate or introducing herself to someone new, before deciding to head back the dorm. As she puts away her things (making sure to be extra careful with Lin's sheet music), she overhears a couple girls gossiping in the back of the room.

"Mitsuki Shimazaki's parents have been all over the news lately," the brunette whispers. "I heard they're both trying to sue the school."

"What!?" her friend gasps. "Why? Is it just because they found her in the school?"

"Probably. They say that she was totally fine at home, but then she came back and fainted in the bathroom."

"That's not true, though. She was telling everyone about what jerks her parents were. Weren't they trying to get a divorce or something? She came to school crying every day; I heard her in the bathroom before classes!"

"Well, they're not getting the divorce anymore. They're working together to get as much money from KI as they can."

"That's just messed up!"

Mitsuki Shimazaki must be the girl Etsuko and Walker were talking about earlier — the first victim of Apathy Syndrome from some months ago. Her parents in the news, the rumors concerning the bathroom where she fell... It can't all be coincidence, can it?

_"Well, no one's expecting me at the dorm, and I have some time to kill... It wouldn't be bad if I just _looked_ would it?"_ The fact that she has to justify herself should be a warning in and of itself, but Ino's already convinced, up on her feet and ready for adventure. She waves goodbye to everyone still in the room before making her way up the stairs, towards the fourth floor. As soon as she's on the landing, she can see it: the criss-crossed yellow caution tape is hardly low-key.

She's the only one in the hallway (which is strange, even if it is after school), but Ino still tip-toes over to the bathroom. Her eyes move from one end of the hallway to the other, back and forth, until she's content that she won't get caught. _"I'll just peek in real quick,"_ she decides, after Etsuko's words of warning ring in her ears.

What Ino considers "peeking in real quick" the rest of the world considers breaking and entering. The soles of her black school does click against the light blue tile, echoing through the room and reminding her that she's alone. Even if the sun is still up and its rays peak through the window in the corner of the wall, she can't help the shiver that runs up her spine. _"Bad idea...?"_

Before she can back out of her own plan, however, her gaze lands on the most obvious thing in the bathroom: a broken mirror. It's full-length, positioned beside the sinks, with cracks covering its entire surface; some pieces, broken off, even sit on the floor in front of it. "That's kind of dangerous, isn't it?" she murmurs to herself. Yet Ino still walks towards it, until she sees a warped image of herself, broken and in pieces. _"Then again, I'm not technically supposed to be in here, so..." _She tries to smile at her reflection, but she can't make it out amid all the cracks and aberrations.

She leans towards the mirror, careful not to step on any stray pieces, so that she can make out the whites of her eyes. Just as she's about to pull away, she sees an expression in the mirror that she knows she isn't making: a sneer. "W-what—?"

_CRACK._

The sound of glass shattering rings in her ears and causes her head to pound. The sudden pressure in her temples forces her onto the ground, broken glass ignored, as she shouts from the pain. Ino tugs at her hair and presses her fingers against her skull, trying to mute the screaming and breaking in her mind, trying to get a grip on the situation.

_awaken_

She screams at the muted voice in the back of her mind, almost sobbing from the pain. _"What's going on!?"_

_your time is now_

Ino reaches around — searching for the voice, someone beside her, something to hold on to — and leans all of her weight against the broken mirror.

Only to fall right through.

* * *

_Closing Song:_ "The Phoenix" - Fall Out Boy

* * *

PERSONA ACTION NEXT CHAPTER HOLLA HOLLA. I'm gonna try really really hard to update this soon (or at least quicker than usual), especially since summer's almost over and school is starting soon. Gaaah, I need to get on this.

**xx, **der kapitan


	5. the fool

Author's Note:

I am really, really excited for summer to be over. I am having dreams about moving into my row house with my friends and having a super awesome year and also I am suffocating in this house, so...

Anyway, more drawings up on my DeviantArt! There's Lin, Etsuko, Yumiko (even though she hasn't shown up yet), and a really terrible size chart.

Out of curiosity, who do you guys imagine being your character's voice actor/actress? For Ino I'd say maaaybe... Naya Rivera? I don't think Ino would have a stereotypically high or pitchy voice (like Laura Bailey), but there'd be some energy behind it. (I also love Naya ehhh.) As for Azusa, maybe Steve Burton? Ehhh coming up with that was harder than I thought.

* * *

**Ragnarok  
**a Persona (© ATLUS) fanfiction

Chapter Four  
The Fool

* * *

_Opening Song:_ "Dirty Paws" - Of Monsters and Men

_and for a while things were cold,  
__they were scared down in their holes  
__the forest that once was green  
__was colored black by those killing machines  
__but she and her furry friends  
__took down the queen bee and her men,  
__and that's how the story goes_

* * *

_April 5, 2016, ?_

_awaken_

_ your time is now_

_ release_

Ino desperately wants to tell the echoing voice in her mind to shut up because her headache is pulsing and she feels like she's going to throw up. Every time she gathers enough strength to actually say something, though, the voice disappears, leaving in its stead a numb tremor. She gasps against the ground (at least she thinks it's the ground), hunched over with her elbows and knees bent, and tries to get some idea of where she is and what's happening.

_"Fourth floor bathroom... Mirror... Mitsuki Shimazaki... Right, right..."_ But as she opens her eyes and looks around, she knows that she's definitely no longer in the fourth floor bathroom.

Ino is sitting in what appears to be a large playpen. As she struggles to stand up, she realizes that the floor beneath her is soft and gives way underneath her weight. _"This is weird... Is this a dream?"_ Toys like stuffed bears and colored blocks line the walls, which look like the white mesh that line playpens. The area extends far in front of her, so that she can't see where the room ends. _"But if it's not a dream, how the heck do I get out of here?"_ She turns around to search for a door, but all she finds is more mesh. _"Weird..."_

_per..._

There's a flash behind her eyes, accompanied by excruciating pain behind her temples. Shouting, Ino clings to the mesh for support, as her knees wobble underneath her and threaten to bring her to the ground again. The voice resonates in her mind, throbbing in her head, demanding some kind of release.

_... so..._

Her breaths come out in heavy pants as she struggles to keep herself upright. Her head feels like it's about to burst from the pain, but there's something — _something _— whispering at the back of her mind. It's soft, soothing almost, but she can barely make it out through the agony. Still, even if it's only slight, even if it's nothing more than her imagination, Ino reaches out for it.

_... na... per... so... na..._

It's there again, barely lingering in the recesses of her mind. She can almost feel it in her grasp, but when the warmth caresses the tips of her fingers, it disappears — and so does the pain. Still shaking from the onslaught, Ino pulls herself upright and tries to put herself back together. _"That felt way too real to be a dream,"_ she thinks, which is ironic considering the fact that she's standing in an oversized playpen. _"And there's no exit, so... The only way is forward."_ Ino moves carefully, afraid of another sudden migraine, with her hand trailing along the mesh wall in case she needs it. She bumps into a lot of toys along the way, even some binkies and blankets, but there seems to be no end to this plane.

All of a sudden, she hears laughter. Ino falls back against the wall, waiting for another round of pain, but it never comes. It takes her a moment to realize that the voice isn't inside her head — it's around her.

"**We used to be so happy. I used to brag about my family to my friends and classmates. They used to come to school and complain about how mean their parents were or how strict they were or how they never got what they wanted. Not me, though. My parents were great. They loved me. They loved each other. My family was the best.**"

The voice isn't familiar, but it doesn't take her long to figure out who it is. Even if she never knew the girl personally, Ino's heard enough about Mitsuki Shimazaki's life and relationship with her parents to be able to identify her. There's a sense of longing, perhaps a tinge of bitterness, in the voice that echoes around Ino.

"**I don't even know what happened. They stopped loving each other, I guess. It happens. I didn't ask because I thought it'd be insensitive, though they're not torn up about it or anything. I don't think I've seen Mom or Dad cry about it once. They ask me why I'm crying, though. It's not **_**my**_** marriage that's falling apart. **_**I'm**_** not the one losing a husband or a wife. I don't think they get what they're doing to me.**"

Ino looks around for the source of the voice, but as she paces back and forth, she can't find anything. The only company she has in this strange world are the toys and pieces of childhood that litter the ground.

"**Maybe they hate me. Maybe I'm not the kid they wanted. Maybe they tried to love me when I was a kid, and that's why I thought everything was so great. Maybe they became disenchanted or whatever, 'cause they couldn't have anymore kids and I never became the top student they wanted. Maybe I'm the only reason they stayed together for so long.**"

She slides down against the wall, bending her knees and leaning her head back. She can't find an exit or an opening, so Ino does the only thing she really can do: she listens. And as she listens to the voice of this girl she doesn't even know, as she listens to her life and her troubles and her worries and her pain, Ino can't help the aching feeling in her chest. What Mitsuki is saying is almost familiar; Ino doesn't know if what she's feeling is empathy or resentment for her own parents.

"**They started to see me as a pawn rather than a daughter. I didn't get it at first, but then it started to cut into my social life and my school life, and I finally realized what they were doing. They tried to make me choose sides. When my dad wasn't trying to convince me to make statements against my mom, my mom was threatening to take me out of school if I didn't testify against my dad. They were just using me. They didn't care about me at all.**

** I missed a lot of school. I stopped talking to my friends, even though they never stopped calling or texting me. I didn't want anyone to know what I was going through. I didn't want them to know that I was wrong, that my family **_**wasn't**_**great and that they didn't actually love me. It was so embarrassing.**

** I just wanted to go back to the way things used to be. Maybe I could change. Maybe I could make them change their minds. Maybe I could try harder in school and get better grades and maybe they'd still be together. Why couldn't things be normal?**

** But... There was another part of me. One that just wanted it all to be over. One that **_**wanted**_** them to get divorced so I wouldn't have to deal with it anymore. Who cares about **_**their**_** happiness? What about **_**my**_** happiness!? Why isn't anyone thinking about **_**me**_**!?**"

_awaken_

The agonizing torrent picks up in Ino's head once again, wracking her body with shivers and convulsions. _"Stop!"_ she pleads inwardly as she grasps her head. _"Stop! Why is this happening...!?"_

"**I'm pretty sure I love them. I mean, they're my parents. I'm supposed to love them, right?**"

Despite the fact that the pain is so intense that she can barely see, Ino can make out the voice that echoes around her. She's no longer hearing Mitsuki Shimazaki's voice, but her own.

"**Yeah. It's not like they're bad to me or Arisa or the others or anything. They don't say mean things to us or punish us or scold us. Then again, they don't really say anything to us at all. Sometimes I'm surprised they remember our names.**" There's a laugh, but it's so forced that it's painful to hear. "**They're always really busy. Dad has to travel or always has some big meeting, and Mom brings her work home most of the time. Usually it's just me, Arisa, Seiji, and Seotta. I feel bad for Seotta the most; he's only five and he barely knows his parents.**

** I guess I don't know them very well, either. We're not really close. Most of our conversations are awkward and kind of shallow. They don't know what I like to eat or what my favorite color is. Mom forgot that Seiji's allergic to nuts and she cooked them into our dinner once. I think I almost slapped her that night.**"

Images of her past flash behind her eyes in quick bursts: dinner with her siblings (almost never with her parents), packing lunch for the four of them, doing Arisa's hair for her first day of school, walking Seotta to his first class, her mother's beautiful kimonos, her father's business partners coming over, the announcement that she could go to Kaihin International High School (such a great experience but so so far away from her siblings) —

"**When he was still a baby, Seotta called me 'mom' a lot. It made me kind of happy, but I was also really mad. Why wasn't our **_**mom**_** holding him and changing his diaper and teaching him how to walk and talk? Why wasn't Dad? Because they were busy. Because they're always busy.**"

_"But I _don't_ hate them,"_ she protests. _"I don't hate my parents. I don't_—_"_

"**I don't hate them**," her voice confirms. "**But maybe I would if I actually knew them.**"

_release_

_ ... per... so.. na.._

_ release...!_

The whisper has returned, with more urgency. It tries to force its way through the sting, but the pain is so much stronger now and Ino can barely keep herself from falling over completely. Ino tries to catch her breath so that she can get a grip on the situation, but as soon as she opens her eyes she's greeted with an unbelievable sight. Materializing from the ground is a thick black substance that bubbles and oozes, building itself up. Its shape morphs and shifts until the silhouette resembles a jester clutching a long pole, which has a tied bag at the end. At its heels is a barking dog. Ino swallows thickly at the jester, who leers down at her with a white grin and bright red eyes.

The sharp-toothed smile disappears when a light blue mask slides down over it; etched into its forehead is a simple '0'. "**I am the Fool,**" it says in Ino's voice. "**The divine inspiration, freedom, innocence, madness, spontaneity, inexperience, creativity, chaos. I am the number Zero, the void from which all other things begin. I am your dreams and your innermost desires. I am your fear and withholding. I am you.**"

All sense of though or coherency scatters as Ino moves back on her hands and feet, until her back is right up against the mesh. Fear and adrenaline takes over her limbs, causing the pain to subside, if only momentarily. _"I need to get away,"_ she thinks as the Fool stalks towards her. _"It'll kill me. It's... I-I'm gonna die!"_

Its mocking laugh rings her ears. "**I'm ashamed to admit that I can't depend on my parents. I'm ashamed to admit that I resent them. I'm ashamed to admit that they took away my childhood by making me care for my siblings. I'm a **_**kid**_**, not an adult. Who the hell do they think they are?**"

Ino shakes her head, even though she knows it's true. She refuses to accept it, even though, deep down, she's always acknowledged this as a truth. "That's not true," she says, but the lie doesn't convince her or the Fool. "I love my parents. They're good people."

"**Good people, shitty parents. Maybe if they'd paid more attention to me I wouldn't be so hopeless in school. No, I won't blame them, though, 'cause that'd be irresponsible. And I'm practically an adult now anyway.**"

"Please, I'm not..." But she is. She _knows_ she is. Even Arisa has called her out on it — on trying too hard to care for her and her brothers just because her parents won't. She knows (has known for a long time) that she shouldn't have been the one to dress Seotta for school, to make lunches for them, to cook breakfast and dinner, to give Arisa "the talk," to help Seiji through his first crush. She knows that she shouldn't have had to do any of that, that she should have been able to focus on her own childhood and her own adolescence before worrying about her siblings'. She knows that there's always been some part of her that's hated her parents, even if she always denies it.

"**I can take care of myself!**"

Ino barely rolls out of the way when the pole comes down. The Fool manages to clip her shoulder and cackles as she presses a hand to the bruising area. "Stop! Why are you...!?"

"**I am you**," it repeats, and she can practically see it grinning through the mask. "**I am your shame, that which you try to hide from the world. You, who try to hide me **— **I will consume you.**" The dog barks as the Fool swipes at her again, in which she barely manages to move out of the way. "**You cannot escape me.**"

She clamps her eyes shut as it glides towards her, not in defeat or surrender, but to center herself. _"It's true that I'm not happy with my parents. I yelled at my dad when he told me I could go to KI, 'cause it isn't fair to the kids. I raised them. I take care of them. I told him if I left that he and Mom would have to step up and start caring about Arisa and Seiji and Seotta. I yelled at him and cried and I don't think he really understood why."_ Her goodbye had been a rough one, with her siblings crying and clinging to her (and her doing the same to them), and her parents standing off to the side, unsure of what to say or do. In the end her mother had hugged her and her father patted her on the back, and she'd managed to keep from screaming at them in the train station. _"But I don't hate them."_

The Fool swings his pole above its head in a crescent, slow and steady, before rising it and high and bringing it down—

_"I think I'm just ashamed because loving your parents should come easily. But I have to try so hard to understand, and I still _don't_ understand. But... I _want_ to love my parents."_

_persona...!_

Ino's eyes open, and in that moment the sound of shattering glass fills her mind. It wipes away the pain and the agony, and the whisper is stronger than ever. It echoes in her mind, soothing her entire being and bringing her to her feet. "Persona," she murmurs as the voice whispers in her ear. A playing card dances before her; when she reaches out to it, it materializes in her hand, real and concrete. She can feel the sharp edges between her fingers, pressed against the palm of her hand. The voice becomes two, becomes three, four — they surround her, flow through her, fill her with life and confidence and instruct her in what to do.

The fear is no longer in her eyes as she glares at the Fool, who looms over her menacingly. "You won't kill me," she growls. "Not here." Then she crushes the card in her hand, shattering it into a thousand blue shards. "Persona!" A tidal wave of emotions surge through her body, down to her toes and to the tips of her fingers.

In a burst of light, a fair-skinned, almost translucent, woman appears before her. She wears a simple white dress with a gold rope tied around the waist, brown graves and long hunter's gloves, and golden sandals. A bow and arrow hang from her back and she wields a spear, as though ready to strike. Her eyes are a brilliant shade of purple. "**I am thou, and thou art I,**" she says. Her voice is strong and it sounds like the whispers that had been reeling through Ino's head. "**From the sea of thy soul, I hath emerged. I am the goddess of the Mountains, Skadi. With my spear, I shall hunt down all those who seek to harm you.**"

Ino staggers backwards, even if the woman's presence instills within her a sense of calm. "Skadi," she breathes. "You're... You're here to help me?"

Skadi simply nods before turning to the Fool, who swings the pole at her like a baseball bat. She deflects the attack easily with her spear and pushes back, forcing the Fool to grind its heels into the ground. It screeches, and the sound is so painful that Ino has to clamp her hands over her ears. This does little to affect Skadi, who merely pushes the Fool away before extending her palm in its direction. A red ball of energy gathers in her palm; when the Fool runs towards her with the pole high above its head, she releases it right in its face. It screams as the fire burns through its mask, revealing that its sharp grin has turned into a grimace of pain. As it writhes, clawing at its mask, Skadi raises her spear and thrusts the blade through its heart.

The dog yips as the Fool falls to the ground,helplessly. Its body dissolve into the ground, from whence it came, leaving behind only its tattered mask. Skadi kicks the mask away effortlessly, sending it into the abyss.

She then turns to Ino, nearly smiling, before disappearing in a soft cloud of blue light.

"Persona," Ino whispers. Her chest feels light and her breath comes easy as she holds a hand over her steadily beating heart.

Ino leans back against the wall and closes her eyes, forgetting about her surroundings and the millions of questions floating her in her subconscious. She relaxes her shoulders, lolls her head to the side, and embraces the merciful slumber.

* * *

_Closing Song:_ "The Phoenix" - Fall Out Boy

* * *

This is short because I don't want to drag it out too long, and I figure this is a pretty good place to end. Hopefully the next chapter will be out soon, but I go back to school next week, so I'm not really sure? Aaah, I'll definitely try, though!

**xx, **der kapitan


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